Lopez Blogs

I woke up this morning in an oddly morose mood. Wii Fit's estimation of my current weight and BMI didn't bode well for a cheery day at work (i've been working harder and longer on fitness and watching what i eat for zero change over the last week?!)and my colleagues seem to be working hard to piss me off today! So the cheer me up, as seems to be the norm for bloggers to write about acts they love (see D'Luv and Yuri, and of course PPG is flying her MansFans flag!), I've decided to bring forward my post on Simon Curtis and write about music that I cherish and adore - instead of waiting til I had actually seen Spectacular, which was the original plan :P

THE UPCOMING SUPERSTAR:

When thezapping got going just under 3 years ago, I quite quickly and firmly staked out the acts I loved - Deborah Gibson, Maroon 5, Abba, Steps, Scissor Sisters, The Killers, A*Teens, BWO, Kylie et al... And then came the interesting bit - the new acts. First and still an obsession was The Feeling. Most recent addition to that list is Same Difference. In between there have been those who burned out too quickly (The Upper Room, Digital), those who I am embarrassed to say i once talked about (mentioning no names, but really? Billiam?!) and the one who really is the reason I kept blogging when I thought I couldn't be bothered anymore - Simon Curtis. There is something undefinable about Simon's music, which is probably the very reason it affected me the most. When I first heard it, way back in June 2006, I was genuinely stunned that his razor sharp lyrics, his insanely catchy melodies, his dark thumping beats and the top-pop production values hadn't been created with huge record company backing. Then there was his patience and quality control over his output - I've long thought that myspace can be as much of a hinderence as it can be a help to new acts. Yes, it is an excellent place to showcase your sound, but unless you are putting out your best material with a long term structured plan it can definitely backfire. Would the Spice Girls (for example) have had as much as an inital impact had they posted every subpar demo and unfinished recording before unleashing Wannabe on the world? Mr Curtis seemed to know what to post, when to hold back and how to use his music to maximum effect. The key songs he posted would lift my spirits on down days, keep me hyper on the good days and get me pondering his view on the world when i was feeling pensive. Apart from X Factor launched acts, it seems to take 2-3 years for acts i champion to become stars, so it's gratifying and exciting to see Simon take his first confident steps onto a world stage. That he remains down to earth during this is a huge bonus. Check out the mesmerising video above where he elaborates on his battle with leukemia as a young lad - becoming a pop star, movie star and ambassador in the space of a week (well apart from his 3 years of slog before that!) is so exciting to see. I can't wait for what's next...

(I know this is a bit of a "oh my gosh, i'm so in awe" post - there are very few acts with whom I could write about with such passion. The Feeling are one. Deborah Gibson another. Abba a third. Take That a fourth. Simon easily now fits into what is quite a hard to break into set)

THE SPECTACULAR REVIEWS

It seems grossly unfair to me that I wasn't sat at home on Monday night watching Spectacular along with millions of other people. Why Nickelodeon thought it wouldn't be perfect half term viewing for the British kids is beyond me :P Anyway, I'm currently happy that at least I have the soundtrack to listen to - and also these ace rehearsal videos (as well as the one I posted on Monday) which at least give me some idea of the choreographed dance routines Simon and Victoria have been putting into the movie :) Plus it's very ace that Simon is getting interviewed left right and centre and i'm getting to find out all sorts of new things ~ Muse is his favourite band?!?! But if he and Victoria are to do any more youtube duets, as lovely as Falling Slowly is, I vote for Lucky (Jason Mraz/Colbie Callat) :)

More interview links:

Teenfaze video chat with Simon!

Simon's sneak peek of the Popstar Mag cover he is featured on :)

My Fox News interview with the lovely Victoria Justice

Rehearsing Lonely Love song in the studio

I get a lot of stick from friends and family about the fact that my musical tastes tend to veer quite "young". 'Isn't that for kids' they mock as 2 drinks later they are boogying on down to ace pop tunes like Britannia High's Start of Something and Same Difference's All Roads Lead to Heaven ;) Spectacular, i am imagining, falls into the same category as BritHigh and S'Diff - it's geared towards kids, but really I have never been ashamed or seen a problem with liking things that are "supposed" to be for kids. Disney, i adore. Harry Potter - thought and still think is amazing. Sarah Jane Adventures? Magnif. So I probably would've been checking out Spectacular even if Simon Curtis wasn't in it. Thankfully he is, and for those who haven't seen the movie, you can see a pretty decent clip here. I've said before that the music is pretty fun, (Wings of A Dream and Things We Do For Love, i think are astounding pop tunes :P) and the reviews that are flooding in seem to be agreeing. I'm pretty fond of the LA Times review that praises the show, is a fun read and I think sums up my whole attitude to the whole HSM vs Spectacular non-feud - Spectacular "simply marks a return of the old-fashioned, small-town musical that once ruled the big screen. You know, the ones in which a girl and a guy (often played by Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney) saved something or other by puttin' on a show. Salvation through music, good hoofing and communal effort." Time Out says it's a nice break from reality and states that the tunes are more pop-radio than broadway, while The Columbus Dispatch praises the film as delightful and thinks it will appeal beyond it's core tween audience. Aces or what?! And with the album currently sitting at #15 on iTunes, while much higher than expected ratings are anticipated to be reported on Friday, I can't help but think there will be more Spectacular in Simon and the gangs future. Hurrah, etc.

Coming soon - Alter Boy (3 Years On); new music 2009 revised...